The Shanghai World Expo 2010 has been marketed as a “grand gathering of the world cultures” and expatriates living in the region are soon to find out exactly what that means, with the event officially set to open in one hour’s time. So what can expatriates expect to see at the Expo?
What is it?
The world expo is a non-commercial exhibition that takes place in a different country periodically. The expo is often referred to as the Olympic games of the economy, science and technology fields and it offers a platform through which exhibitors can showcase their achievements.
This year’s Expo is taking place in Shanghai and it is expected to attract over 700million visitors during its six-month period of operation. There is an anticipated 200 participants and exhibitors taking place in the event, consisting of 177 countries and 44 international organizations.
The Shanghai event is being heralded as being one of the most expensive world affairs in the history of the world expos.
There are 9 different types of tickets available for those who wish to attend the expo; ranging from single day admission through to 7-day admission. The price of a standard day ticket will be RMB 160 Yuan, which is around $24 dollars.
Where and when is it?
The Shanghai World Expo will run from May 1st to October 31st 2010. The site of the event is the Nanpu Bridge-Lupu Bridge region, which runs along the Huangpu River covering an area of 5.28 square km.
What can expats expect to see there?
The theme of this year’s expo is “better city, better life”, which is intended to be a reflection on mankind’s aspirations to live in a better environment. As such, the event will feature a heavy emphasis on sustainable living and this will be marked by four themed pavilions; the Urban Dwellers Pavilion, the Urban Dream Pavilion, the Urban Footprints Pavilion and the Urban Beings Pavilion. Each of these themed constructions will explore a different area of urban development and will feature creative architecture and explorations of new technologies associated with urban living.
The themed pavilions will be accompanied by the National Pavilions, which represent the cultural heritage of the event participants. Many nations will have their own pavilions for the event, including Africa, Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, Denmark, Hong Kong, Israel, Oman, Pacific Islands, Pakistan, Philippines, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States. For many countries, no expense has been spared in creating a themed spectacle and it is claimed that some of the pavilions cost as much as USD $69 million.
Important notes:
As a result of the event’s emphasis on sustainable living, no vehicles will be allowed on the site. Visitors will need to use public transport to access the event.
Read the full article: http://expo.cn/
